Railway-frog



(No-Model.)

'E. CAMPBELL.

RAILWAY FROG. I No. 349,783. Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

j sec. o/v xx.

WITNESSES l/VVE/VTOH, 44%444 WUMM It PHERS, Fholo-ljihognphar. wibhills'fl. v.0.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELVELL CAMPBELL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

RAILWAY-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.349,'783, dated September 28, 1886.

Application filed May 4. 1886.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELWELL CAMPBELL, of Kansas City, Jackson county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Frogs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to devices for automatically replacing the trucks of a railway- 'car after they have been caused to leave the.

which my improved devices have been applied, and Fig. 2 isasection through the same on line :0 00, Fig. ,1.

In view of the fact that nearly all existing railroad companies havea contrivance of some sort located on the approaches to their bridges, and intended to strengthen the bridge and to start across and keep in line and inside of the guard-rails thetrucks of a 'car that may from any cause be derailed, and to hold said derailed trucks on the ties, and so not permit them to strike the side of the bridge, which event would perhaps wreck both train and bridge, and in view of the well-known inefliciency of such contrivances as are now in use, I have made it the especial object of my 111- vention to provide something that will be of more utility and certain in action, and the cost of which will be no more than the cost of the devices that are at present in use.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the rails of a track, which may be secured to the cross ties I in the ordinary manner, and I would say that my devices can be applied to ties of a different form, if desired, such as any of the differentmetallic ties that are now being manufactured. Hence the style of tie used in making up the road-bed of the track to which my invention may be applied is immaterial, providing the several parts are securely fastened to them in some wa Serial No. 201,032. (No model.)

The letter B indicates a pair of outside frogs, which preferably have a combined length of thirty feet, or a length that will correspond to the length of an ordinary rail, and they have formed upon or secured to their outer edges a raised flange, 1).

Of course all of the frogs herein described can be formed in short sections to facilitate handling; but in this description of them I desire to refer to them as an outside pair of frogs and an inside pair of frogs.

'0. represents the inside frogs or frog-plates, which are made to have a length equal to that of the before-mentioned outside frogs, B, and they have formed upon or secured to their inner adjacent edges a raised flange, c. The inner edges of the last-named frogs can be made either straight or curved, as may be desired; but I would prefer to construct them with edges curved, about as shown, as I have found that the curved edges and flanges give the best results upon the inner frogs.

Before describing my invention further I wish to say that when it is to be applied to bridges the frogs, as shown in Fig. 1, should be divided at about the middle of their length, or, say, on the lineX 00, and one portion should be located at one approach or end of the bridge, and the other portion should be located at the opposite end of the bridge. When the two portions are united or are located together, as shown, I propose to locate an arrangement of car-replacing frogs at a distance of half a mile apart all along the road, or as near together as may be desired; and I wish to say that in very many cases, when a derailed truck of a passing train strikes the replacing-frog, it will be caused to resume its proper place upon the rails automatically and without stopping the motion of the train.

The inner edges of each of the frogs should be made to fit the sides of the rails as closely as possible, as shown in Fig. 2; and for the purpose of preventing the inner frogs, G, from closing together, and for the purpose of holding them more securely in place, an upper side of the main ties T, so that their respective ends will abut against the inner edges of the frogs O.

The upper surface of the outer frogs, B, it

will he noticed, is made to conform in height series of short ties, t, are located upon the top invention.

very nearly to the upper surface or tread of the rails A, so that the flanges of a derailed truck-wheel can easily pass over the outer edge of the rail and meet with little or no resistance on the part of the rail in regaining its proper position; and it will also be observed that the upper surface of the inner frogs, O, is located somewhat below the inner edge of the rails, so that the flanges of the wheels of the derailed truck (indicated by dotted lines in the drawings by the letter D) will strike the edge of the rail and be prevented from passing over it and off the track again. Thus no obstruction is made to the wheels regaining the rails, but, on the other hand, every aid is given them by the peculiarconstruction, combination, and mutual co-operation of the different portions of the several parts of the An important point in the construction of the frogs, which aids very materially in bringing about this result, is the fact that the upper surfaces of the frogs B and G are inclined or twisted inwardly toward the rails, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. It will be observed, also, that at their widestpart the upper surface of the several frogs conforms to the same horizontal plane in which the ties T are located; but it should also be noticed that from said widest portion the upper surfaces of said frogs are gradually inclined or twisted until the narrowest portion is reached, as is shown and will become apparent by reference to the two figures of the drawings.

The fact that the wide ends of the frogs are devoid of any appreciable amount of inclination will always allow the wheels of a derailed truck to enter freely upon them, and then as said wheels progress toward the narrow portion of the frogs they will come in contact with the guiding flanges b or c, and which latter will cause them to approach very near to the rails, after which the quite sharp inclination of the upper surface of the frogs will cause the wheels to drop upon the rails. This of course will all be accomplished while the train is in motion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The frog-plates B, provided with side flanges, Z), in combination with frog-plates 0, having flanges c, and havinga warped or twisted upper surface, all. arranged to cooperate substantially as described.

2. In combination with the rails A, the frogplates B, provided with. side flanges, b, and having a warped or twisted upper surface that conforms very nearly in height to the tread of said'rails, and the frogs C, provided with flanges c, and havinga warped or inclined upper surface that is located below the inner edge of the rails, substantially as de scribed, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELWVELL CAMPBELL.

Vitnesses:

JNo. XV. NORTON, G. E. NORTON. 

